We are reading Romans 3 today. I suspect that the readers of this epistle were mainly Jews because Paul suddenly quoted extensively from the Psalms andIsaiah (See the Appendix).
Frankly speaking, reading Romans 3 is not easy. Paul put forth his rhetoric in a see-saw manner.
At the end of Romans 2, Paul seems to be saying that circumcision was of no significance. Only the heart counts. A Jew is determined by his heart, not by the absence of the foreskin.
He is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart, spiritual and not literal. His praise is not from men but from God (Romans 2:29).
As if to save the face of the Jews, Paul suddenly turns around and says that circumcision is essential. Yes, Jews enjoy a privileged status.
Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?
Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews are entrusted with the oracles of God (Romans 3:1-2).
But the Jews had a very bad record of unfaithfulness. Paul questions their suitability as the keepers of God's oracles. Then he turns around to claim that God's faithfulness is unconditional. It will not be affected by man's unfaithfulness.
What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?
By no means! Let God be true though every man be false, as it is written, "That thou mayest be justified in thy words, and prevail when thou art judged."(Romans 3:3-4)
Quoting Psalm 51, Paul brings up the concept of judgment and asks a crucial question to silence the sinners! If our wickedness, our unfaithfulness serves to manifest the righteousness, the faithfulness of God, why should we be punished? Our sins are helping God!
But if our wickedness serves to show the justice of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)
By no means! For then how could God judge the world? (Romans 3:5-6)
I am afraid I cannot follow Paul's logic any more. Why is God unable not to judge the world? Listen to John.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him (John 3:16-17).
Of course, I am quoting out of context. But I want to point out that judging the world is not the sole business of God. God also wants to save the world. Otherwise, why bother sending His Son into the world?
Paul reiterates his idea once more. It is taken for granted that doing evil will not bring out any good.
But if through my falsehood God's truthfulness abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?
And why not do evil that good may come? -- as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just (Romans 3:7-8)
After all these reasoning steps, what conclusion could Paul draw?
He began with saying that to be a Jew is important because he is a keeper of God's oracle. In the end, he finishes with saying that to be a Jew is of no use.
What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all; for I have already charged that all men, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin (Romans 3:9)
Then, Paul quoted 9 verses of Psalms and Isaiah to show that the Jews were sinners! The oracles of God, the Torah was unable to exempt them from sins. How unfortunate!
Frankly speaking, reading Romans 3 is not easy. Paul put forth his rhetoric in a see-saw manner.
At the end of Romans 2, Paul seems to be saying that circumcision was of no significance. Only the heart counts. A Jew is determined by his heart, not by the absence of the foreskin.
He is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart, spiritual and not literal. His praise is not from men but from God (Romans 2:29).
As if to save the face of the Jews, Paul suddenly turns around and says that circumcision is essential. Yes, Jews enjoy a privileged status.
Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision?
Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews are entrusted with the oracles of God (Romans 3:1-2).
But the Jews had a very bad record of unfaithfulness. Paul questions their suitability as the keepers of God's oracles. Then he turns around to claim that God's faithfulness is unconditional. It will not be affected by man's unfaithfulness.
What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?
By no means! Let God be true though every man be false, as it is written, "That thou mayest be justified in thy words, and prevail when thou art judged."(Romans 3:3-4)
Quoting Psalm 51, Paul brings up the concept of judgment and asks a crucial question to silence the sinners! If our wickedness, our unfaithfulness serves to manifest the righteousness, the faithfulness of God, why should we be punished? Our sins are helping God!
But if our wickedness serves to show the justice of God, what shall we say? That God is unjust to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.)
By no means! For then how could God judge the world? (Romans 3:5-6)
I am afraid I cannot follow Paul's logic any more. Why is God unable not to judge the world? Listen to John.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him (John 3:16-17).
Of course, I am quoting out of context. But I want to point out that judging the world is not the sole business of God. God also wants to save the world. Otherwise, why bother sending His Son into the world?
Paul reiterates his idea once more. It is taken for granted that doing evil will not bring out any good.
But if through my falsehood God's truthfulness abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner?
And why not do evil that good may come? -- as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just (Romans 3:7-8)
After all these reasoning steps, what conclusion could Paul draw?
He began with saying that to be a Jew is important because he is a keeper of God's oracle. In the end, he finishes with saying that to be a Jew is of no use.
What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all; for I have already charged that all men, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin (Romans 3:9)
Then, Paul quoted 9 verses of Psalms and Isaiah to show that the Jews were sinners! The oracles of God, the Torah was unable to exempt them from sins. How unfortunate!
Dear Lord, help me understand Paul better. His logic is not easy to follow. Enlighten my soul so that I may understand him correctly. Amen.
Appendix:
ὅπως ἂν δικαιωθῇς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου καὶ νικήσεις ἐν τῷ κρίνεσθαί σε.
That thou mayest be justified in thy words, and prevail when thou art judged (Romans 3:4b).
ὅπως ἂν δικαιωθῇς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου καὶ νικήσῃς ἐν τῷ κρίνεσθαί σε (Psalm 51:4 MT, 50:6 LXX).
οὐκ ἔστιν δίκαιος οὐδὲ εἷς,
οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ συνίων,οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ ἐκζητῶν τὸν θεόν.
πάντες ἐξέκλιναν ἅμα ἠχρεώθησαν· οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ ποιῶν χρηστότητα,[οὐκ ἔστιν] ἕως ἑνός.
None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands, no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside, together they have gone wrong; no one does good, not even one (Romans 3:10b-12).
εἰ ἔστιν συνίων ἢ ἐκζητῶν τὸν θεόν.
πάντες ἐξέκλιναν, ἅμα ἠχρεώθησαν, οὐκ ἔστιν ποιῶν χρηστότητα, οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός. (Psalm 14:2b-3 MT, 13:2b-3 LXX)
τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν, ταῖς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν, ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν·
Their throat is an open grave, they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips (Romans 3:13).
τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν, ταῖς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν (Psalm 5:9 MT, 5:10 LXX).
ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν (Psalm 140:4 MT, 139:4 LXX).
ὧν τὸ στόμα ἀρᾶς καὶ πικρίας γέμει
Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness (Romans 3:14).
οὗ ἀρᾶς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ γέμει καὶ πικρίας (Psalm 10:7 MT, 9:28 LXX).
ὀξεῖς οἱ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐκχέαι αἷμα,
σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν,
καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν.
Their feet are swift to shed blood,
in their paths are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they do not know (Romans 3:15-17).
οἱ δὲ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πονηρίαν τρέχουσιν ταχινοὶ ἐκχέαι αἷμα, καὶ οἱ διαλογισμοὶ αὐτῶν διαλογισμοὶ ἀφρόνων, σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν.
καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ οἴδασιν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν κρίσις ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν, αἱ γὰρ τρίβοι αὐτῶν διεστραμμέναι, ἃς διοδεύουσιν, καὶ οὐκ οἴδασιν εἰρήνην(Isaiah 59:7-8).
οὐκ ἔστιν φόβος θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν
There is no fear of God before their eyes (Romans 3:18).
οὐκ ἔστιν φόβος θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ (Psalm 36:1b MT, 35:2b LXX).
ὅπως ἂν δικαιωθῇς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου καὶ νικήσεις ἐν τῷ κρίνεσθαί σε.
That thou mayest be justified in thy words, and prevail when thou art judged (Romans 3:4b).
ὅπως ἂν δικαιωθῇς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου καὶ νικήσῃς ἐν τῷ κρίνεσθαί σε (Psalm 51:4 MT, 50:6 LXX).
οὐκ ἔστιν δίκαιος οὐδὲ εἷς,
οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ συνίων,οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ ἐκζητῶν τὸν θεόν.
πάντες ἐξέκλιναν ἅμα ἠχρεώθησαν· οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ ποιῶν χρηστότητα,[οὐκ ἔστιν] ἕως ἑνός.
None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands, no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside, together they have gone wrong; no one does good, not even one (Romans 3:10b-12).
εἰ ἔστιν συνίων ἢ ἐκζητῶν τὸν θεόν.
πάντες ἐξέκλιναν, ἅμα ἠχρεώθησαν, οὐκ ἔστιν ποιῶν χρηστότητα, οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός. (Psalm 14:2b-3 MT, 13:2b-3 LXX)
τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν, ταῖς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν, ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν·
Their throat is an open grave, they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips (Romans 3:13).
τάφος ἀνεῳγμένος ὁ λάρυγξ αὐτῶν, ταῖς γλώσσαις αὐτῶν ἐδολιοῦσαν (Psalm 5:9 MT, 5:10 LXX).
ἰὸς ἀσπίδων ὑπὸ τὰ χείλη αὐτῶν (Psalm 140:4 MT, 139:4 LXX).
ὧν τὸ στόμα ἀρᾶς καὶ πικρίας γέμει
Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness (Romans 3:14).
οὗ ἀρᾶς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ γέμει καὶ πικρίας (Psalm 10:7 MT, 9:28 LXX).
ὀξεῖς οἱ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐκχέαι αἷμα,
σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν,
καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν.
Their feet are swift to shed blood,
in their paths are ruin and misery,
and the way of peace they do not know (Romans 3:15-17).
οἱ δὲ πόδες αὐτῶν ἐπὶ πονηρίαν τρέχουσιν ταχινοὶ ἐκχέαι αἷμα, καὶ οἱ διαλογισμοὶ αὐτῶν διαλογισμοὶ ἀφρόνων, σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν.
καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ οἴδασιν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν κρίσις ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν, αἱ γὰρ τρίβοι αὐτῶν διεστραμμέναι, ἃς διοδεύουσιν, καὶ οὐκ οἴδασιν εἰρήνην(Isaiah 59:7-8).
οὐκ ἔστιν φόβος θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν
There is no fear of God before their eyes (Romans 3:18).
οὐκ ἔστιν φόβος θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ (Psalm 36:1b MT, 35:2b LXX).
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